A few shopping tips from our Raw Restart 2021 Facebook group!
TIP #1: Maintain your Banana Stash! Since many of you are in colder climates, fruit will take longer to ripen. It’s important to eat fruit when it’s properly ripe for optimal digestion. Aim to maintain a supply of about 7+ bunches of bananas throughout the week. This will allow you to always have ripe bananas! In the event that any of them start to over ripen, simply pop them in the freezer for use in smoothies or nice cream. A lot of grocery stores only have green bananas this time of year, so the sooner you buy the better.
TIP #2: Keep dates around! Dates are great to have around as a back-up plan if you are low on ripe fruit. We don’t advise making a meal out of unsoaked dates, however, as they are dehydrating and hard on your teeth. But if you find yourself stranded with no ripe fruit on hand, DATORADE to the rescue! Blend ~10 medjool dates (soaked if possible) with ~20 oz of water for a creamy and satisfying ‘milkshake’!
TIP #3: Look out for winter fruits that are in season now, like…
♥ CITRUS: oranges, grapefruits & tangerines
♥ PERSIMMONS: starting to go out of season, but you may get lucky!
♥ PEARS & KIWIS: buy in advance to ripen
♥ APPLES: a great fallback fruit that’s always available. Can be chopped and added to salads for sweetness, eaten alone, or added to smoothies.
TIP #4: Stock up on frozen fruit! A cup or two of frozen berries is a great addition to any smoothie. Alternatively, you can take some out overnight and let them defrost in the fridge to eat in the morning. This will add variety to your fruit supply since less fruit is in season right now.
TIP #5: Don’t forget the greens! Greens are essential for many of us, especially in the winter months! Experiment with various kinds of greens and different ways of eating them. Check out Costco, Sam’s Club or Aldi for affordable organic greens. Pre-cut and pre-washed varieties are convenient and are great to throw in smoothies, but won’t keep as long as whole bunches of greens. Be sure to note the expiration date before you buy.
TIP #6: Shop around! Sample the best of what’s available from standard grocery stores, Costco, Asian markets, Hispanic markets, organic markets, Whole Foods, 99 cent stores, etc. Try fruit from all of them and go back to stock up on what you like best!
And last but most important: Give Support / Get Support! Share a photo of your fruit haul in your favorite Raw Vegan Facebook group to encourage and inspire others with your choices! We suggest the Woodstock Fruit Festival Community Group!